Stationary exercise bicycles have been available for many years and offer a good alternative to bicycling outdoors. The standard stationary bicycle is arranged to support a bicycle in an upright position and typically includes front and rear end struts. The struts are configured to engage a support surface such as a floor, deck or concrete surface. Most stationary bicycles include a wheel, which may be in front of or behind the rider, that spins as the rider pedals. Further, most bicycles have facilities for varying the intensity of resistance applied to the wheel so that the amount of energy required to pedal the bicycle can be varied.
Most riders of a bicycle outdoors experience varying terrain including uphill and downhill situations. For this reason nearly all bicycle riders tend to stand with their weight supported on the pedals at least part of the time. Cyclists rise out of the saddle for several reasons including to stretch their legs, relieve discomfort of the buttocks, to change the emphasis on muscles and, most importantly, to provide power for acceleration or for hill climbing. When a cyclists stands on their feet, he or she can shift the body weight from one side to the other to apply greater force to rotation of the pedals.
It is estimated by some that professional bicycle riders may ride out of the saddle in the standing position, as much as 30 to 40% of the time over the course of a race. While most recreational bicyclists do not ride out of the saddle this much, nevertheless nearly all bicycle riders spend at least part of the time in the standing position. When in the standing position, a bicyclists tends to sway the bicycle back and forth as he or she pedals so that as force is applied by one leg to push the pedal downwardly the leg is extending substantially straight with the biker's weight over the straight leg and as the biker's weight is shifted as force is applied by the other leg. By swaying the bicycle back and forth less stress is placed on the bikers skeletal components and the muscles operate more effectively and efficiently. Most exercise or stationary bicycles in use today do not provide for replicating the swaying action that is encountered in riding a bicycle in the normal way. This lack of a swaying action that is characteristic of the typical stationary bicycle imposes additional stress on the legs of the user and does not afford opportunity for varying the combination of muscles employed while riding a bicycle in the normal way.
For these reasons, the invention herein provides a dynamic system for a stationary bicycle that permits the bicycle to sway from side to side when ridden vigorously by a rider while at the same time supporting the bicycle in the usual upright position when ridden less vigorously.
For background information relating to exercise type of bicycles, reference may be had to the following previously issued United States patents.
U.S. Pat. No.InventorTitleUS 2004/0053751PizolatoBicycle Trainer Allowing Lateral RockingMotion3,762,703GibbsExercising Apparatus4,925,183KimIndoor-Rollbike Apparatus4,958,832KimStationary Exercising Bicycle Apparatus5,492,516TrotterExercise Apparatus For Use With Bicycles5,662,559VasquezBicycle Side-Suspension System5,685,806YuMagnetic Damping Device Of AnExercise Apparatus6,056,672CarbonellTraining Apparatus For Cyclist and ForTenderoPhysical Exercise6,126,577ChangExercise Stationary Bicycle6,322,480Lim et al.Indoor Bicycles For Physical Exercise